THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 15. 
30G 
seed, are now well satisfied that seed potatoes from the 
size of pigeon eggs to the size of butternuts were equally 
as likely to produce a good crop as well as large potatoes, 
while a great saving was made in using the smaller ones, as 
well as the expense of cutting. 
For the last twenty-five years we have used plaster 
ground fine upon our potatoes when we could get it, about 
a gill to a hill, put into the hills on the seed. We found, 
upon long trial, that the plaster increased the size of the 
potatoes, and made them dry and mealy .—(The American 
Country Gentleman.) 
THE NEW-YORK STATE POULTRY SOCIETY. 
Tiif. exhibition commenced on Tuesday, the 7th of Feb. 
Van Veohten Hall, the place of holding the show, pre¬ 
sented a rare collection of fowls of every possible form and 
hue, such as has never before been gathered in this country 
at. one time and place. The different varieties of the Asiatics 
figured most largely in the display, but representatives of 
almost every known class of domesticated birds were present. 
The aristocratic Game Fowl looked proud defiance at the 
larger proportions of the quiet and corpulent Shanghae; the 
noble bearing and glossy plumage of the Black Spanish 
showed in fine contrast with the uneasy air and dull feathers 
of the Hamburghs; the Golden and Silver Spangled 
Polands stood side by. side with the trim and well-built 
Dorkings; the wee Bantam was there in his beauty, looking 
wonderingly at his distant relatives, the Chinamen. The 
gobble of the Turkey was heard, strangely out of tune with 
the squeak of the Guinea Fowl, and the shrill tenor of the 
crow of the smaller cocks did not chord well with the cracked 
bass of the long necked Cochin-Chinas. Then there were 
Aylesbury, Black Cayuga, Muscovy and Top-knot Ducks; 
Bremen, Chinese, African and Wild Geese; fan-tail, ruffle- 
necked, earner, tumbler, spot and Malta Pigeons ; Chinese 
and English Pheasants; Prairie Hens and Quails; a pair 
of American Eagles, and a long row of Black and Tan and 
Pat Terrier Dogs, that constituted a sort of special police, 
charged with the guardianship of the assembled convention 
of poultry. 
Tliere were in all something more than fifty exhibitors, 
and tlio number of fowls on exhibition is estimated at from 
twelve to fifteen hundred. Among the more prominent ex 
liibitors from this section may be mentioned W. H. South- 
wick, of New Baltimore, who showed over thirty coops of 
varieties; ,T. W. Platt, of Rhinebeck, who had nearly the 
same number; E. E. Platt, Albany, who exhibited more 
than twenty coops; G. M. Van Alstyne, Greenbush, ten 
coops; Geo. Anderson, Albany, ten coops; C. W. Goddard, 
Albany, five; and numerous other smaller exhibitors. 
Among exhibitors from a distance,'D. P. Newell, of Ro¬ 
chester, made a very extensive show. The first premium was 
awarded him for that variety of Shanghaes known as Brahma 
Pootras, and these fowls were certainly very fine. They Hid 
not show the coarseness and slovenliness of some of the 
largo fowls, and are bred very true to colour. They were 
more compactly built and of more beautiful proportion than 
any others of the same variety we ever saw. 
Mr. McGowen, of Philadelphia, exhibited one cock and ! 
two hens of the Buff Shanghae, imported by Mr. Rudrnan of 
Philadelphia, which were very much admired. They were 
symmetrical in form and their plumage was faultless. The 
owner refused 150 dol. for the trio. 
Mr. J. P. Childs, Woonsocket, R. L, showed some choice 
specimens. Among these we noticed four superior cocks 
and four hens of the Chittagong variety, one cock and two 
liens of the Black Spanish, which were most perfect speci¬ 
mens of the breed, and a trio of inimitable little Sebright 
Bantams. 
The whole affair passed off to general satisfaction, and j 
every one is willing to acknowledge that the rearing of poul¬ 
try at present prices is a great business. It commends 
itself, however, to those who keep fowls for ornament and as 
a pastime, rather than to those who raise poultry for market 
and for the eggs. Still the advocates of the Shanghaes insist 
that they are intrinsically worth from one-third to one-half 
more than the ordinary fowls for producing eggs and dres¬ 
sing for market 
On Wednesday evening, David Taggart, of Northumber¬ 
land, Pa., delivered an address before the Society, in which 
he eulogized the genus ga/lus in classic phrase,—spoke of 
some of the peculiarities and excellencies of the various 
breeds of fowls, and maintained that the Cochin-Chinas, 
Brahma Pootras, &c.,were. all derived from the Shanghaes, 
and only differed in colour and other unessential particulars 
which were determined by breeding with care .—{Thu Ameri¬ 
can Country Gentleman.) 
THE GEN. HAND PLUM AND ITS ORIGIN 
This plum has been noticed repeatedly, and a correct de¬ 
scription of the fruit, as well as its origin, has been fully 
given, and yet there seems to be a lack of knowledge in 
regard to the same, or else a disposition to throw into 
obscurity its true history, and to accord to others the credit 
not due to them in originating this plum. My attention 
has been drawn to this plum lately, by looking over the 
number of the “ Country Gentleman,” dated Sept. 22,1855, 
which contains a notice of the Gen. Hand plum, “ asciibing 
its origin somewhere in the state of Maryland, and which 
has received the above name.” In 1848, a few specimens of 
the fruit were sent to Mr. A. .T. Downing, by Mr. Eli Parry, 
of Lancaster, Pa., and Mr. Downing noticed them very 
briefly, in the then current number of the “ Horticulturist.'' ! 
Diu’ing the same your a description of this plum was written 1 
by myself, based upon the observation of its fruiting for 
eight years, upon the grounds of Mr. Samuel Carpenter, of | 
Lancaster, Ohio, at which place I resided at the time. (See 
Hort. vol. 3, page 332.) In Hort. vol. 0, page 21, under the 
heading of, “ Descriptions of new and rare fruits," Mr. Down¬ 
ing has described this plum, by saying-, “ it is the largest 
yellow plum known, certainly the largest native variety;” 
then states its history to be obscure, and says “it was sent 
out by Messrs. Sinclair, of Baltimore,” and adds, “ the only 
accurate account published of this fruit, by any reliable 
cultivator, is contained in a note from Mr. Falienstock, of 
Lancaster, Ohio, in Hort. vol. 3, page 332." In 1851, after 
the publication above alluded to, ascribing the origin in Alary- \ 
haul, the “ Fruit Garden,” edited by P. Barry, Rochester, 
N. Y., made its appearance, and the error here alluded to was 
endorsed by Mr. Barry, who says it is “ one of the largest 
American varieties, introduced by Messrs. Sinclair and 
Corse, of Baltimore, Md.” This I regretted very much, ' 
from the fact that now it had gone forth to the world with 
authority, ns it were, because Mr. Barry being a practical 
Poiuologist of many years study and experience, would 
necessarily add weight and give tone to anything he might 
say, and much more so, when he gives a mature and studied 
declaration in a work which he was then sending forth to the 
people ot the United States, and which bv many has been, 
and is still, looked upon as a text book. Mr. C. G. Siewers, I 
of Cincinnati, having seen the articles ascribing the origin to i 
Messrs. Sinclair, of Baltimore, gave a true and reliable 
history of this plum and its origin in the Hort. vol. ti, page I 
187. ( He says “that the original tree grew on the farm 
of Gen. Hand,” (from whom it took its name,) “ about one 
mile from Lancaster, Pa. That in 1831, Mr. F. IV. Car¬ 
penter, nurseryman of Lancaster, Pa., procured specimens of 
the fruit, budded a number of trees, and sent grafts to his 
brother, S. Carpenter of Lancaster, Ohio, and Robt. Sinclair 
of Baltimore, Maryland, and thus introduced it into notice.” 
I will here remark that my notice of this fruit was penned 
from the knowledge I obtained from Mr. S. Carpenter of 
Lancaster, Ohio, as well as from the fruiting, year after year, 
of one of the trees raised from the grafts sent him by his 
brother in Lancaster, Pa., and which was almost daily under 
my observation. On page 204, same vol., you will find the 
confirmation of the above. Thus it will be seen that the 
Gen. Hand Plum originated on the farm of Gen. Hand, neai 
Lancaster, Ta., and that it took its name from him. That 
Mr. E. IV. Carpenter of the same place, a nurseryman, in 
1831, budded many trees, and forwarded grafts to his 
brother of Lancaster, Ohio, and Mr. Sinclair of Baltimore. 
A. Iahensxock.— (The American Country Gentleman .) 
